Episode 9 | Beyond the Wilds

Things are coming to a head in this last season (*sniffles*) of our beloved show. Last week was a great recap of allll the seasons so far, but Episode 9, “Beyond the Wilds,” brings us back to the action in real time. And WOOOO, the THINGS!

So, we begin this episode with our old friend, the hipster airbender, Ryu. They’re apparently leading tours through the spirit wilds in Republic City now, and Ryu is guiding a group that includes his parents. He’s honestly not the best tour guide, and he has to deal with one of those annoying people who asks a ton of questions, but none of them deserve what happens next: the vines go BONKERS and KIDNAP THE WHOLE GROUP, all boa constrictor style. WTF SPIRIT WILDS!

On Air Temple Island, Jinora races to Korra and Opal–who is still understandably freaking out that no one seems to be doing anything to help her rescue her family–because she felt a major energy disturbance in the spirit wilds and she’s getting bad vibes. The girls head over there and are investigating things. Jinora remarks how they should’ve run into Ryu’s tour group by now, but Korra doesn’t place too much confidence in that concern, Ryu being…well, Ryu. Instead, she tries to get reading on the spirit vines and she discovers something pretty awful: Kuvira’s harvesting of the spirit vines in the swamp. Korra figures that this is what’s making the vines in Republic City get sticky fingers for people. She and Opal run off to tell the President while Jinora stays behind to see what she can see.

Meanwhile, the President is holding a council meeting with Tenzin, Wu, and the leader of the Fire Nation. They are discussing how to proceed with regards to Kuvira. Wu offers some hilarious suggestions on how to get Kuvira to relinquish her grip on the Earth Kingdom by, among other things, offering her a fake all-expenses paid trip to the tropics that turns out to be a prison. There is disagreement on whether or not the United Republic should go on the offense or defense. In the midst of “kicking it world leader style,” Korra enters and is about to tell them all what she sensed in the spirit wilds when Bolin and Varrick show up! YAY their road trip is over! President Ryko is on the verge of capturing them when they reveal that Kuvira is making a super secret weapon that would be incredibly deadly and awful. Korra puts it together that Kuvira’s weapon uses the spirit vines, but the world leaders still disagree on how to go after Kuvira. When the leader of the Fire Nation backs out of attacking her, defense wins.

Bolin tries to apologize to Opal, but before he can get very far, Beifong comes out of the meeting and the two agree that they need to go on an unsanctioned mission to save their family. EEP! Bolin, Korra, and Mako have a nice little reunion, too. All of Bolin’s traitorous sins are forgiven and they have a group hug. AWWWW!

Back in the spirit wilds, Jinora is still looking for Ryu when, WATCH OUT, GIRL, the spirit vines come after her and capture her. DUN DUN DUNNNNN. She spirit bends to Korra to say that the vines have taken her.

At the edge of the spirit wilds, Korra offers to go into the spirit wilds to find Jinora. Mako goes with her. The two of them are attacked by a spirit vine but get away. They eventually wind up blockaded into a room where there are these glowing pods suspended in the vines. It’s Jinora and the tour group. When Korra tries to enter the spirit world to find their trapped spirits, she is instead plunged into a memory of her battle with Zahir and is unable to enter the spirit world. She confides in Mako that she’s been unable to enter the spirit world since their battle.

Korra tells Tenzin that she needs to face Zahir to save everyone. Tenzin hesitates, not sure that Korra is ready, but Korra convinces him that this is something she needs to do. Zahir is imprisoned in the mountains and Korra and Mako are going to head there.

Meanwhile, Bolin is FINALLY reunited with Pabu–YAY! And Bolin is still on the path to getting Opal back. He uses Pabu to trick Opal to come to a picnic, but Opal pretty thoroughly shuts him down. These two are NOT in a good place right now. Then the action shifts to President Ryko’s office, where Varrick and Asami are meeting with him. The two bicker a little bit, but Ryko says that he needs the two of them to work together to stop Kuvira’s weapon.

Korra and Mako make it to Zahir’s mountain prison and Korra is eager to face him and get over her fear once and for all. However, Zahir proves that he still holds power over her. Zahir is able to meditate into the spirit world even though Korra is not and she blames him for not being able to access her spiritual gifts. They argue about the powers of the Avatar being limitless until Korra mentions that it was his actions that led to the rise of Kuvira. Zahir says that she has to be stopped and Korra agrees to his offer to let him guide her into the spirit world.

When Korra arrives in the spirit world for the first time in years, she is connected with Raava once again. Raava leads Korra to where the spirit of Jinora is being held. When Korra arrives where her spirit is being held, she protests when Raava says she neds to connect to the spirit energy. Korra believes she has no power in the spirit world, but Raava tells her otherwise. Korra is able to use her spirit energy to release the spirits of Jinora and Ryu and his tour group.

Back in Republic City, Jinora is reunited with Tenzin, who is finally understanding that Korra is still capable and powerful. Mako and Korra have a good talk about how Korra feels better now that she’s confronted Zahir and her past. Is it just me, or did Korra and Mako have some nice little feelings cropping up? I think they did. Bolin sees Opal on her way to Xaofu. He confesses his LOVE for Opal and swears that he’ll do anything to get her back. Opal says the one thing he can do to win her again is go on the secret mission to rescue her family.

What did you guys think of Beyond the Wilds?

Sleepy Hollow

Friends, there’s no better way to start out this year’s Fortnight of Fright than by paying homage to one of my FAVORITE creepy tv shows around right now: Sleepy Hollow. HOLLA, WITNESSES! I legitimately love this show. It appeals to several of my favorite things: American Revolutionary history, biblical prophecies of death and the apocalypse, monsters, men with British accents, an OTP, a small town, humor, witches…there’s probably more. PLUS I get to “watch” it with my besties, and by watch I mean that we all watch it at the same time and text each other when something crazy slash hilarious slash swoony happens. We all know this is THE BEST.

Considering all of this, but particularly the monsters, witches, and biblical prophecies of death and the apocalypse angles, I thought that Fortnight of Fright would be the perfect time to shout my love of Sleepy Hollow from the rooftops. Woot! Come fangirl with me!

This week, we get to spend some quality time with our beloved, in crisis Avatar. Korra is looking beat up, friends. She’s doing some underground bending matches and, umm, losing. After she cleans herself up following her most recent loss, she wanders out into an alleyway–not exactly sure where she is–and sees…DUN DUN DUNNN…HERSELF. Avatar-state Korra, pre-haircut, pre-downward spiral, pre-new wardrobe of khaki green. And apparently this isn’t the first time down-on-her-luck Korra has seen her. They fight, until some kindly neighborhood folks come upon the scene, only to see just the one Korra, flat on her ass. It’s clear that something isn’t right in Korra’s melon.

Broken Avatar is broken. Sad face.

We go into flashback mode to Korra leaving Republic City. Team Avatar is saying their farewells before Korra leaves to go to the South Pole three years ago. She only meant to be gone for a few weeks, apparently. Tenzin assures Korra that the airbenders will handle anything that comes up, and Team Avatar tells her to get better soon and stay in touch. Something is rotten in the state of the Avatar, you guys.

In the Southern Water Tribe lands, Korra has nightmares of her final face off with Zaheer. She has a heart-to-heart with her mother, who doesn’t see any improvement in Korra’s state of mind or her recovery. She promises her mother that she’ll visit Katara.

The poison from Zaheer did lots of damage, obvs, but Katara tells Korra something that I’m sure is going to feature prominently in her recovery: In the end, whether or not Korra gets better is squarely on her own shoulders. Korra sounds very frustrated. I guess she hasn’t been able to move her lower body? Did we know this, friends? Anyway, in the middle of her sessions with Katara, she has flashbacks and gives up.

Emo Korra writing to Asami

All of Team Avatar are writing to her, and Korra reads her letters from them. Bolin even DRAWS HER PICTURES like a kindergartener. I love him. HE IS EVERYTHING. But even their friendship from afar doesn’t seem to break through Korra’s mental and physical blocks. She yells at Katara and seems to be losing hope, and lonely. Katara reminds her of the suffering Aang endured when the Air Kingdom was destroyed, and says that he turned his suffering into motivation and found peace. Something tells me that Korra just isn’t there yet, you guys. But she manages to have a breakthrough in her physical therapy. WORD. YOU CAN DO THIS, GIRL.

Bolin’s picture.

Back to present-day Korra walking down a shady street by herself. She sees a little puppy behind her and then, AVATAR KORRA is there. The puppy starts growling ADORABLY. (Seriously, this dog is super cute.) It’s little growls make Avatar Korra go away. Korra follows the puppy.

Another flashback sees Tenzin visiting Korra. She has improved tremendously from before and is putting on a fire-bending demonstration. In the midst of it, she has a flashback of Zaheer. Tenzin assures her that rushing things won’t help anyone, but Korra is worried about the Earth Kingdom. Tenzin says that things there are under control, thanks to Kuvira. As always, Korra remains impatient. She writes a letter to Asami and says that she’s getting a lot better but still cannot go into the Avatar state without having visions of Zaheer. Then she asks Asami not to tell Mako and Bolin that she’s written to her instead of them, but that it’s easier to talk to her. I LOVE THIS FRIENDSHIP FOREVER.

After talking to her parents, Korra tells them she wants to go back to Republic City, but that she wants to go alone. SHE LEAVES NAGA I DIE. NOT NAGA. I HAS THE SADS. Korra winds up in some tropical-looking place that is most certainly NOT Republic City. She gets caught up in chasing down some thieves who are, of course, benders, and she can’t stop them.

As Korra is arriving in Republic City, she sees the vision of Avatar-state Korra on a cliff and turns around. She docks somewhere, removes her trademark Water Tribe clothes and hacks off her hair. Avatar identity crisis is in full swing.

Korra winds up at the Northern Water Tribe lands and visits the spirit portal. Some spirits see her meditating and wonder aloud if she’s ACTUALLY the Avatar because they don’t sense any Ravaa energy. Korra hasn’t been able to connect to the Avatar’s energy for two years at this point and won’t accept help from the spirits. She’s determined to figure things out for herself. She sends a letter to her parents lying, saying she’s in Republic City, when in fact, she’s wandering the desert trying to find herself. The Avatar-state Korra follows her everywhere, which seems to include the Earth Kingdom, where Korra now lives.

Back in real time, the puppy has brought Korra to the swamp, and it turns out to be one of the spirits she met at the Northern spirit portal. In the swamp, she finds Avatar-state Korra. They fight again, and Korra is on the defense for most of the early going. Then Avatar-state Korra pulls her into this weird puddle of white…stuff and Korra goes under.

When Korra wakes up, she’s in an underground cave with an old woman who says that she knew the Avatar in one of her previous lives. Then, YOU GUYS, she turns out to be OMFG TOPH BEIFONG. I CANNOT I CANNOT I CANNOT. KORRA HAS FOUND TOPH BEIFONG. THIS IS ALL THE THINGS.

What did you guys think of this episode? I died, personally.

Recaps of Episodes 9 and 10 coming atcha, where LOTS of things happened!

Episode 9 • The Stakeout

So this episode begins with Team Avatar chasing down the traitor, Aiwei. Naga–super pet–tracks him through a middle-of-nowhere town in the desert. The team walks into a bar to get some info and Bolin gets all excited when he thinks that his WANTED poster is, in fact, some display of the locals’ fandom of his movies. Alas. Anywho, turns out that they are all wanted by the Earth Queen and the locals aren’t super friendly. Also, no Aiwei just yet. MOVING ON.

Back in Xaofu, Lin and Su have a spat about the fact that Su let Team Avatar go to hunt down Aiwei. Lighten up, Lin. Just a little bit?

Meanwhile, Naga tracks Aiwei to ANOTHER town in the middle of the desert, the Misty Palms Oasis, but this time, her nose knows. Team Avatar finds Aiwei’s jeep abandoned behind some rocks. Mako and Bolin head into town to see if they can find Aiwei while Asami and Korra stay on the outskirts to wait. While they’re waiting, Korra wonders what Zaheer has up his sleeve and Asami finds a clue about a potential meeting place between Aiwei and Zaheer in the jeep. However, when the girls try to find the place on a map, they can’t. OOH.

In town, Mako and Bolin ask a few questions and have some success until two bounty hunters spot them and they try to hide from them. BUT THEN! They spot Aiwei walking down the street and they follow him. When they go back to get the girls, they all share their info. Korra wants to go in guns blazing, but Mako advocates a stakeout instead.

Team Avatar rents a room in the same inn as Aiwei and waits for him to leave for his meeting with Zaheer. Things are dragging out and getting boring when Korra gets fed up with waiting and she storms over to Aiwei’s room. When she busts in she finds Aiwei mediating on his bed. Turns out that his meeting with Zaheer is in the spirit world. Korra goes to join him, leaving Mako, Bolin, and Asami to guard their bodies.

In the spirit world, Korra finds Zaheer and Aiwei meeting. Zaheer is telling Aiwei that he’s compromised the operation and left a loose end. Zaheer finds out where Aiwei’s body is located and throws him over a cliff in the spirit world. Korra confronts him and asks him WTF he wants. Zaheer is pretty forthcoming.

He tells Korra that he and his group are part of the Red Lotus, people who want to restore freedom to the world. They’re basically anarchists. Zaheer says that her kidnapping attempt was her uncle, Unalaq’s idea. He has some pretty negative thoughts on Avatar Wan and Korra determines that the Red Lotus wanted to kidnap her so that she could open the spirit portals and free Vatuu. The mission of the Red Lotus? To restore balance, but the kind that eradicates all governments and keeps people from being truly equal. They believe that disorder is the only natural order. EEP!

Meanwhile, Zaheer manages to both meditate and tell his cronies where Aiwei’s body–and Korra’s–is. Pa-Li sends Gazan and Ming-Hua to grab Korra. When they arrive in Misty Palms, Asami makes off with Korra’s body on Naga while Mako and Bolin stay to fight. It doesn’t go well for them. Like, at all. Mako and Bolin are captured by Zaheer’s group, and it looks like Asami and Korra are going to make it, but they are also captured, but not by Gazan and Ming-Hua. They are captured instead by the Earth Queen’s forces and are being taken back to Ba Sing Se. Zaheer and his baddies take Mako and Bolin and head to Ba Sing Se themselves.

Episode 10 • Long Live the Queen

Korra and Asami are being loaded onto an airship to head back to Ba Sing Se. Korra is trying to warn the Earth Queen’s forces about Zaheer, but they think she’s cray. Asami, who is such a BAMF, manages to break free of her bonds and says that she can get them off the airship because it’s been crappily made. She runs off to get the keys to Korra’s bonds.

Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin are in a van with Zaheer. Bolin is hilariously making friendly small talk with Gazan and Ming-Hua when they arrive in Ba Sing Se.

In the Earth Queen’s throne room, she’s getting a briefing from her servant on the arrival time of Korra’s airship when Zaheer is granted an audience by saying that they know where to find her missing airbenders. Zaheer is trying to negotiate the Earth Queen handing the Avatar over to them to avoid an international incident in return for information about the airbenders. The Earth Queen agrees to their terms. She sends Mako and Bolin to the dungeon.

Back on the airship, Korra creates a diversion for Asami to unlock her chains and the two try to take over the ship. Instead, the ship crashes in the desert and winds up having to deal with a SUPER huge sand monster. EEP. The sand monster gives the crew some motivation to let Korra and Asami help them put the ship back together so they can get to Ba Sing Se.

Back in the throne room, the Earth Queen gets word of the airship crash and the potential escape of Korra. Zaheer and his group decided that they aren’t going to chase Korra anymore; she’s going to come to them. They walk into the throne room and after a tense conversation about showing respect for the crown, Zaheer attacks the Earth Queen by LITERALLY STEALING HER BREATH. RIGHT OUT OF HER MOUTH. HE KILLS THE EARTH QUEEN. OMG OMG.

Zaheer then makes an announcement to all of Ba Sing Se, telling them that he took down the Earth Queen, but that he’s not trying to take over the Earth Kingdom and that all the citizens of Ba Sing Se are free, and Gazan earth bends down the wall that surrounds the city. Mako and Bolin are still stuck in the dungeon. Bolin tries to metal bend to get them out, but he isn’t able to do it. No worries, though, because Zaheer shows up and breaks them out with a message for Korra.

Korra and Asami and their sand sailer eventually make it back to Ba Sing Se just in time to meet up with Lin, Korra’s dad, and Lord Zuko (HAI!), who have tracked Team Avatar their. Korra finds out that the Earth Queen has been killed and she tells her father and Lin that it’s the Red Lotus. DUN DUN DUNN.

Whew! This season is shaping up nicely in terms of the drama, although I have to say that I miss the romance a little bit. But I like this Red Lotus angle and I can’t believe that they KILLED the Earth Queen! DANG! Now I’m ready for more air bender goodness, so let’s hope that we see some more of them next week!

So let’s start off this week with some Legend of Korra news: This episode that I’m recapping for you RIGHT NOW is the last Korra episode that will be on TV. GASP!!!! I know. I feel you. But! Emphasis on the “be on TV” part, because the remaining episodes of this season will ALL appear online. So we dodged a bullet there, friends, and it’s a good thing too because Episode 8 returns us to our standard one half-hour episode with the standard AWESOMENESS as well.

Episode 8 • The Terror Within

We begin this episode in Xaofu, where Korra and Bolin are practicing their metal bending. Well, Korra is practicing it. Bolin is struggling to actually DO it. But Korra manages to get a win, whereas Bolin resorts to earth bending in a fit of frustration before Asami REALLY craps on his day and reminds him that tonight is Opal’s going away dinner. GUYS. BUT I SHIP IT. I have complete confidence that these two are NOT DONE.

Also, remember how Varick is still around? He’s created an airbender finder. But LOL it doesn’t work. Anywho, everyone says goodbye to Opal and the rest of Team Avatar + Lin Beifong prepare to go search for more airbenders the next day.

BUT LO! Something is rotten in the state of Xaofu! That night, while everyone sleeps, ZAHIR AND HIS CRONIES ARE SNEAKING IN. HOW IS THIS HAPPENING. Pabu begins FA-REAKING out and trying to wake up Bolin, who wants no part of it. Ming-Hua does some water bending thing with the glass of Korra’s bedroom window, and then the bastards SHOOT NAGA WITH TRANQUILIZERS. DO. NOT. MESS. WITH. NAGA. Korra wakes up and tries to fight them off but is hit with a dart herself and passes out. Zahir grabs Korra and leaves. THANKFULLY, Bolin chooses now to listen to Pabu’s warnings, wakes up, and sees Zahir running off with Korra over his shoulder.

A HUGE fight ensues. Like, HUGE. ALL the benders get into it, including Su & Lin. Zahir, Gazan, Ming-Hua, and Pa-Li put up an insanely good fight, shooting things with their minds, lava bending, and trying to use an air glider. Bolin gets in a great shot as well that saves the day. It really looks dire for them for a while, and they almost make off with Korra anyway before Su and Lin are able to grab Korra from them and airlift her to safety using their metal bending. Team Zahir manages to airbend all of them away without a trace.

The next day, Team Avatar, Su, Lin, and the truth-seer, Aiwei, try and figure out how Zahir and his gang even got into Xaofu. They determine that one of the guards must have let them in and Aiwei begins questioning them all–even Varick (lol not him) and Su, at Lin’s request (obvs these two still have some things to work on)–until one young guard sits down and Aiwei deems him the GUILTY ONE. Except he doesn’t look it at all.

Team Avatar begins searching the guard’s home and finds a suspicious note and the guard logbooks. Not looking good for the kid. Mako wants to question him right away, but Aiwei wants to let him stew. Mako instantly throws shade at Aiwei and is frustrated that they aren’t confronting the guard. Mako begins to question the guard’s guilt and then Varick shows up and he posits that PERHAPS the guilty person isn’t the guard, but AIWEI HIMSELF.

When Team Avatar goes to Aiwei’s home to do some sleuthing, they aren’t very successful at first, but then they find a bookcase that MOVES, and Su’s advisor all of a sudden seems SUPER shady. And of course, he shows up while Team Avatar is still there. Aiwei says he’ll talk to them over some tea when Korra mentions that things aren’t “adding up.” Aiwei manages to talk around their questions and then asks them who they think is the traitor if not the guard. Silence fills the room as it becomes clear that Team Avatar suspects Aiwei, and then he says, “You have no idea what’s coming for you, Avatar.” And then he sneaks out of his home using the secret hideaway behind the bookcase. When Team Avatar manages to make it back there as well, they see that Aiwei has rigged a bomb and it EXPLODES OMG.

Thankfully, Korra and her airbending save Team Avatar. But Aiwei has escaped through a tunnel behind his home. Korra tells Su that Aiwei is guilty, which is a huge blow. He was her number one advisor. They determine that Zahir and his team got into Xaofu through the tunnel in Aiwei’s home, but despite more searching, he’s already gone.

Korra wants to suspend the search for more airbenders to look for Aiwei and find out what’s going on with Zahir and his gang, but Lin wants nothing to do with it. She wants to take Korra back to Republic City, but Lin says it’s too dangerous. Su agrees with Lin and Korra backs down. They prepare once again to leave the next morning.

Exceptttt…in the middle of the night, Su shows up in Korra’s room with the keys to her jeep. She tells Korra to take Naga and the Team and go find Aiwei, saying that she’ll deal with Lin. Team Avatar heads off into the night to hunt down Aiwei.

So, this episode was great because one, it took place entirely with one storyline. I kind of love those episodes sometimes. Also, I love that Team Avatar was able to defeat Team Zahir this time, although it makes me nervous thinking how desperate this will make them. Also, what is this ominous “you have no idea what’s coming for you” business? And can I tell you that, even though I’m really enjoying this season, I’m missing some of the romance feels. But I’m also really digging the action! What do you guys think?

Top Ten Movies & TV Shows

I like this, friends! Changing it up from books and recognizing that great stories come in many media. Woo hoo! As someone who loves books AND TV AND the movies, I love this list. I broke it down into two separate mini lists, and deliberately cut it off at exactly 10 because this list could’ve EASILY gotten way out of hand.

Supernatural

One of my FAVORITE shows of ALL TIME. The Winchester brothers are broody and dark and their lives are twisted and sad and dangerous. LOVE THEM. Plus the paranormal aspects are legit, even if the show was better earlier in its run, IMO. It’s still amazing.

Once Upon a Time

I’m sorry, did you guys think I would leave off a show based on fairy tales? We know each other, right? #HookEm

The Vampire Diaries

It’s not cheating to have a TV show based on books on here, right? I mean, I’ve never read the books, but the show is addicting. I’m a little behind on this most recent season, but this is consistently one of the most dramatic shows around. Plus, Damon.

New Girl

So maybe season 3 wasn’t AS funny as the first two, but goodness gracious, friends, I LOL all the time watching this show. I need a Schmidt in my life. I mean, don’t we all?

Legend of Korra

I love the Avatar universe. It’s so captivating and fun. I love Korra a LOT because it’s like YA Avatar. It’s got the action and fighting, plus the emotions of relationships of all kinds.

Friday Night Lights

BEST SHOW EVER. That is all. (Legit, it’s probably my favorite show ever. Maybe a few other shows are bunched up with it, but this one is so close to the top.)

Almost Famous

I just love this movie to bits. It’s been one of my favorite movies ever since I saw it in the theater. I love the music and the time period and relationships.

Brave

While I LOVE Brave a lot, it’s also basically a stand-in for ALL THE DISNEY MOVIES. There’s little I love more than indulging in my inner kiddo, and there’s no better way to do that then pop on a Disney movie.

Steel Magnolias

I’m from New Jersey, which is just about as opposite from Louisiana as you can get, but I’ve always loved this movie HARD. I love the friendships between these women. I laugh and I sob uncontrollably when I watch it. What better story could I ask for?

Ever After

More fairy tales, I know. But I know this movie like the back of my hand and have incredibly fond memories of it. I just love it. Angelica Huston is amazing at throwing zingers around, and I love Drew Barrymore in this. Sometimes she annoys me, but not here.

Slight change of plans, friends: Lisa was unexpectedly drawn away to do some top-secret superhero work this weekend and isn’t able to recap for us. I’ll be taking care of this week’s Legend of Korra double header, where lots of important, awesome things went down. Check out my recaps of last week’s episodes to refresh!

Episode 4 • In Harm’s Way

We begin Episode 4 in the Northern Water Tribe lands, where we left off last week. The band of very powerful bending criminals, led by new airbender Zahir, are on their way to break his girlfriend out of jail. Pa-Li is a really powerful firebender, and when we join up with Lord Zuko, Tonraq, Desna, Eska, and the other Water tribesmen, Zahir and his benders are approaching. A pretty legit fight ensues between everyone, but it’s the waterbender, Ming-Hua, who makes it down to Pa-Li’s cell and breaks her free. (I still CANNOT with her water arms.)

Pa-Li has this weird eye-looking thing on her forehead that was covered while she was imprisoned, so methinks it is important to her gifts. When she is finally freed and goes to make her way to the escape truck thing, she is beset by Lord Zuko’s BAMF dragon. BUT OMG she is able to fend off DRAGONFIRE and deals the dragon a blow. It looks like she can use her head, or at least that thing on it, to shoot what look like bullets at people. DAMN! But I swear, if she killed that dragon….

Bottom line, all the benders escape, their next stop unknown. At least Pa-Li and Zahir get some kissy-face on to make up for lost time.

Back in Ba Sing Se, Mako and Bolin’s family help them secure documents that will grant them passage back to the upper ring, where Korra is working out her frustrations with the Earth Queen by sparring with Asami. Korra knows that something is up with the Earth Queen’s denial of airbenders in Ba Sing Se. When Mako and Bolin show up–and after much huzzahing on their return–they boys tell the ladies that there are rumors that the Earth Queen is capturing airbenders and hiding them somewhere to create an airbender army.

The Earth Queen arrives and tells Team Avatar about some reports of airbenders in another town and basically kicks them out. Asami buys them some time so that they can try and locate the hidden airbender prisoners, but not much. They have only a day.

Jinora gets some time to shine, thanks to her knowledge of all kinds of secret places in Ba Sing Se as well as her spiritual gifts. She lets her spirit travel to a few different places to investigate, but she doesn’t find the airbenders. Korra then suggests that she use her connection to Kai to find him, assuming as they are that he is one of the kidnapped airbenders. Jinora does, and she finds Kai in a prison underneath the Earth Queen’s temple.

Things are NOT going super hot for Kai and the other prisoners. They are subjected to some hardore training, and when Kai tries to take it easy on a weaker prisoner, the guards give him crap and lock him in solitary confinement. He’s still there when Jinora’s spirit finds him, and when Team Avatar goes to break the prisoners out.

While Team Avatar are making their plans to break the prisoners out, Beifong shows up. HAAAY GIRL! She says that Korra needs to be on the red-eye out of Ba Sing Se because her life is in danger from Zahir et al. And THIS is where we get some pretty important back story and FINALLY learn some of what’s going on with this season’s Big Bads.

Turns out that, right after Korra was born, Zahir, Pa-Li, Gazan, and Ming-Hua made a kidnapping attempt on the Avatar. Tenzin, Lord Zuko, Tonraq, and Sokka (miss you, buddy) stopped them and put them each in prison. But even after 13 years of jail time, none of them ever divulged any details about their motives. No one has any idea why they wanted Korra then, or why they want her now.

Korra, of course, refuses to leave until she rescues the airbenders. There’s another bending fight when the Earth Queen shows up just as everyone is getting ready to leave–I swear, I’ll never get tired of seeing these–but Tenzin, Korra, and the gang make off with all of the her airbenders. This is going to turn out badly FOR SURE. Tenzin takes the airbenders who want to go with him back to the Northern Air Temple to train, and Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Beifong head off to find more airbenders.

Episode 5 • The Metal Clan

YAY!! First shot of Episode 5 is of NAGA!! My favorite pet!! She and Korra are playing fetch while taking a break from the search for more airbenders. Beifong doesn’t approve of the fun having and won’t play with Naga. CHILL, GIRL. While she’s brooding about Korra wasting time, Asami and Mako let everyone know that they’ve gotten another report of an airbender in Xaofu, the home of the Metal Clan. Since Beifong is a METAL bender, they ask her if she’s heard of it. She says no, but in a way that is obviously a lie that none of them pick up on. They head off to Xaofu despite Beifong’s protests.

Xaofu is kind of GORGEOUS. Team Avatar is greeted on the ground by Aiwei, a servant slash. Beifong refuses to get off the ship and orders Korra to tell no one that she’s there. She is in a BAD mood right now.

On their way to meet the new airbender, Team Avatar is kind of agog at Xaofu. They pass a statue of Toph Beifong, Lin’s mother, and everyone is appropriately awed. But as much as Team Avatar wants to MEET Toph, no one has seen or heard from her in years. I don’t know about you guys, but with the return of Zuko, I’m feeling a reunion coming on. (OMG DIESSSSSS.)

The leader of the Metal Clan is a woman named Su. Her house is GORGEOUSSSS and we get to see some absolutely beautiful metal bending dance. She knows all of Team Avatar before they are introduced and I LOVE HER IMMEDIATELY. Also, Aiwei has a surprise up his sleeve: he is a truth seer and knows Korra was lying about no one else traveling with her group to Xaofu. It comes out that the other passenger on their ship is Lin Beifong, and then Su drops a BOMB: She is Beifong’s sister. When Korra brings Su to the airship to confronts Beifong about it, Lin is irritable and nasty, and we find out that Toph’s daughters don’t have the same dad. Get some, Toph! Thirty years ago, Lin and Su had some EPIC falling out and no longer speak, even though Su seems to be open to it.

Aaaanyway, turns out that Su’s daughter, Opal, is the airbender Team Avatar came to see. They all spend some time in Xaofu, meeting Su’s family–she has five kids and an architect husband. Bolin and Opal have this REALLLY cute flirty thing going on and I am a BIG FAN of it. I ship it. Opal is adorable, but Lin is just not having it. Also, Su wants Opal to train in Xaofu, even though Korra’s plan was to take her to the air temple. And do you know who shows up for dinner? VARRICK. NO LIE. WOW. Turns out he’s trying to develop what basically sounds like a monorail. It involves magnets. Lin can’t take the small talk or the company and storms off. Korra brings Opal to her later to try and get her out of her funk, but no dice. Opal winds up crying, Korra yells at Lin for being bitter, and Lin gets upset. A conversation between Korra and Su doesn’t really shed too much light on what got between the two girls, but it did make me love Su even more.

I mean…. How adorable could Bolin and Opal be? INFINITY ADORABLE. Source

Meanwhile, at the Air Temple Island, the new airbenders are getting acquainted with their surroundings when a guy, Yuru, shows up. He seems nice and all, and tells everyone he’s a new airbender. Immediately don’t like him. Especially when he’s the only “new” airbender who can make it through those spinning screens that Korra destroyed when she first came to Air Temple Island to train with Tenzin. Yuru = Shadyus Maximus. His shadyness is TRIPLED AT LEAST when Kya says that Tenzin wants the new airbenders to go to the Northern Air Temple with him and Yuru asks if the Avatar is going to be there. Kya tells him no and he’s pretty bummed.

Later, when the other airbenders are asleep, Ikki finds Yuru in Tenzin’s office reading a poem by an old airbender. She tells him that no one is allowed in her father’s study. Kya shows up and starts asking him questions. She’s obvs suspicious. It takes her a second to recognize Yuru as ZAHIR OMG. How Kya recognized him, I do not know, but they eventually get into a pretty legit bending fight where Kya does the same water arms thing that Ming-Hua does. I LOOOOVED that Kya got to show off her bending skills, which were legit! Alas, they are not enough to stop Zahir from escaping. He flies off on his air glider.

So what did you guys think? I LOOOVED getting to meet Su and Beifong’s family. I adore Beifong and cannot wait until next week when we get to really dive into it. This is some deep family business and I just want Beifong to be happy, you guys. I hope that all of this time with Beifong’s family in Xaofu means we get to see Toph. I’m also very intrigued–as I was last week–about why Zahir and his bender cronies want Korra. WHAT IS GOING ON?!? I have to agree with Kya when she remarked at how proficient “Yuru” seemed at airbending for someone who is supposedly new at it–How does Zahir seem so good at it already?

I’ll try and update this post with the usual screencaps when the site where I grab them posts some. Until then, let’s chat it up in the comments! Lisa will have your recap next week!

The Legend of Korra Season 3 Premiere: Episodes 1-3

WELCOME, FRIENDS! It’s time for a new season of The Legend of Korra!! I love how this awesomeness was basically dropped on us with almost no warning or waiting. Like, BOOM KORRA NEXT WEEK. *dances like a lunatic* I’m always ready for more Korra and Team Avatar. Always.

So obviously the great news is that there are new episodes of The Legend of Korra to recap! HUZZAH! But the BEST news is that the founder of these recaps, Lisa @ Lisa is Busy Nerding, has returned to us and will be recapping along with me! YAYY!! Since, you know, she started them in the first place and is gracious and awesome enough to share. We will be alternating weeks, so I’m starting us off and then Lisa will have you covered for next week’s Episode 4, and so on.

Now, usually we get two new episodes smooshed together at the start of each season, but this time around the awesome people at Nickelodeon decided to give us THREE. AN HOUR AND A HALF OF KORRA. For the fangirls like me, this is excellent. For the recapper, WHEW, that’s lots of recapping. Especially when I usually go heavy on the details. So in order to keep myself from going nuts and to keep you guys from going blind reading my recap, I’m going to try and keep this one as short as possible. When I pick up again for Episode 5, things should be business as usual. Sound good? GREAT! I love you guys.

With all of the housekeeping out of the way, let’s get down to recapping!

The Skinny

Korra has reconnected with her Avatar-ness by reaching into her past memories and learning the story of Wan, the first Avatar. She also knows that she only has a few days to defeat Unalaq before “harmonic convergence”–DUN DUN DUNNN. Meanwhile, Varrick is getting his dirty hands in all the pots: He’s turned Bolin into a movie star and bought out Asami’s company, but the only one who suspects him is Mako. EEEEP!

The Breakdown

We begin in the Eastern Air Temple, where Tenzin and his family are now vacationing. Jinora is sitting on the ground with some semi-translucent fairies floating around her. Tenzin shows up and it’s obvious that whatever Jinora was seeing in those fairies, he doesn’t see at all. Jinora calls them “imaginary friends.” Hmmmm…interesting. Tenzin is trying to get everyone excited about some sightseeing and Meelo looks like this:

Then! KORRA SHOWS UP!!! HUZZAH!!! The kids are so excited to see her. Thank goodness for Tenzin’s itinerary, otherwise she wouldn’t have known where to look! Tenzin asks her why she isn’t in the South Pole, training, and Korra fills him in on the civil war, which Tenzin has no idea about. Air Temples obvs don’t have whatever passes for internet in Avatar-land.

Korra and Tenzin are catching up later, and Korra blames herself for this whole mess. Tenzin knew that Unalaq wanted power, but not that he would go so far as to try and free the dark spirit, Vatu, from his prison. He assures Korra that it isn’t her fault. Korra needs to close the Southern spirit portal, though, and Unalaq has the south all barricaded. Korra says that her best shot at closing the portal is for her to enter the spirit world and close it from the inside (am I the only person who does NOT like the sound of this??) Tenzin says that he’s going to help Korra enter the spirit world.

Meanwhile, Unalaq is pissed at his kids for not capturing Korra and how he’s making them fix their mess. He says that harmonic convergence is his way to change the world, and Eska tells him that they will make it up to him, although Desna seems more skeptical. Unalaq needs his children’s help to open the Northern portal. Desna says that he thought only the Avatar could open the portal, but Unalaq thinks there’s another way.

Bolin, meanwhile, is acting his little heart out in Varrick’s movies. Asami shows up while Bolin is left hanging upside down in between takes. Mako shows up and tells Asami that he knows who’s been stealing from Future Industries: Varrick. He explains the evidence he found, but Asami doesn’t believe him. She kind of brushes his accusations off, but she gets a little FEELY, if you know what I mean, and Bolin GASPS! and asks if they’re dating again, which they are not. Mako insists that Varrick is the bad guy. He tells them about the explosions and the remote detonators. They still won’t believe him. He gets all frustrated and tries to storm off, but then two of Varrick’s henchmen stop him. Varrick is looking for him, apparently.

At the Eastern Air Temple, Tenzin takes Korra to a particularly spiritual spot and everyone is sitting around mediating, trying to get into the spirit world. Not working. Tenzin tries a different spot and is choking on the incense. Right as they are moving to another spot, Jinora sees her fairies floating around Korra’s head. They fly off in a different direction from everyone else. Kya asks Jinora what she’s chasing, but Jinora tells her nothing. I say, FOLLOW THE FAIRIES.

Next, Tenzin and Korra are sitting inside a temple. He tells her to stop talking, but doesn’t actually shut up himself. He’s getting frustrated that they can’t get into the spirit world. Korra asks him how he first got into the spirit world so that they can try that instead, and he drops a bomb: He’s never even been there. His meditation has never got him there. He’s studied, though, and hoped that this would be enough. He implores Korra to trust him, when Kya asks Jinora if SHE knows anything that might help, and Jinora says, HELL YEAH, I DO! My fairy friends know the way!

Jinora asks her spirit friends to show themselves to everyone, and they become visible to everyone. The whole party is kind of stunned at Jinora’s spiritual development. The spirits are leading Korra away from the temple.

Back at the northern portal, Desna and Eska are unsure how they will open the portal without any spiritual gifts. Unalaq says that they will enter the spirit world and give them something they’ve never had: bending. He tries to water bend his way into the spirit world with Desna and Eska’s help. Desna is hurt, but Unalaq tells Eska to leave him. She refuses and takes Desna back to a healer, leaving Unalaq to try and open the portal with his own bending but is unsuccessful.

Mako has been brought in front of Varrick, clearly thinking that Varrick is up to no good. Turns out, though, that Varrick is trying to recruit Mako to his security team. He’s trying to pass-aggro threaten Mako by saying that he wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to Asami since they’re kind of dating again. And then he does the same with Bolin. Varrick says that without Mako helping him, “who knows what could happen” to Asami and Bolin. WTF VARRICK DON’T MESS WITH MAKO. Mako blows him off anyway.

At the air temple, Tenzin and the fam are on an air bison, heading to the place where the Jinora’s spirits are leading them. Korra tells Jinora about Wan and how he became the Avatar by joining with the spirit of Rava. Jinora remembers the statue she found in the Southern Air Temple, and it all makes sense: It was Wan and Rava, becoming the Avatar. Korra and Jinora realize that the day Jinora found the statue was the same day Korra opened the Southern spirit portal.

Once on the ground, the spirits take everyone through a forest and they come upon some rocks that have carvings on them. Tenzin says that they are in an ancient airbender spiritual circle, and Jinora confirms that the spirit energy is high, but it’s a strange spirit feeling. Tenzin says they need to cleanse the space to increase its connection to the spirit world. He does some fancy airbending and then a hole opens in the ground and a bunch of what look like dark bat spirits pour out. UH OH.

All of the benders get to work to stop the weird bats, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. That is, until Korra does some fancy shmancy spirit bending, and turns them into light. NOW the area is cleansed. Tenzin laments that Unalaq was able to teach Korra so much more about the spirit world than he was, but Korra assures him that he was the better teacher because he was unselfish, something Unalaq is not. Korra apologizes for firing him as her mentor and they have a nice moment. They’re all going to mediate to enter the spirit world.

In Republic City, Mako is in his apartment when Asami shows up. She just wants to see if he’s ok. Asami invites him to dinner at the same place where they had their first date and then they kiss. NO. Good thing that their smooch is interrupted by the POLICE showing up–including BEIFONG–to confront Mako about hiring the Triple Threats. He fesses up that they were trying to get to the bottom of the theft of Asami’s Meka tanks and the Triple Threats were the only one who would help. Beifong says that the Triple Threats ALSO told her that Mako stole a bunch of stuff himself, and what do you know? The cops find cash and explosives in Mako’s apartment. WHAT IS GOING ON! Mako denies knowing anything about it, but the cops arrest him anyway, calling him out for being a Triple Threat himself and for using Asami to help his gangster buddies rob her. He denies it again and tells her that Varrick is setting him up as the cops lead him away.

So, Tenzin is still having some trouble getting into the spirit world. It’s nighttime now, and he’s had no luck so far. He wants some more time, but his sister says that Jinora was probably meant to guide Korra instead. Tenzin resists and says that Jinora isn’t ready, but Korra tells him that they are running out of time. He finally agrees to let Jinora lead Korra into the spirit realm to close the portal. THIS is the scene from the promo all those months ago. It’s awesome. The spirit world is GORGEOUS.

The last scene is Unalaq, standing in front of the prison where Wan entrapped Vaatu. UNALAQ IS VaATU’S LACKEY. Unalaq apologizes to Vaatu for failing him and not being able to open the portal. Because the Avatar is dead, Unalaq thinks that opening the portal will be impossible, but Vaatu tells him that Korra is alive and that she’s just entered the spirit world. She is coming for Unalaq. DAAAANG. Should’ve seen this coming.

The Last Word

Friends, WHAT is Varrick’s end game?!? I can’t figure it out! Is he working with Unalaq? Why does he want Future Industries? Why does he want Mako out of the way? Also, ENOUGH with this Mako and Asami thing. Please, no. Also, is it just me, or are you guys missing Bolin this season? A little bit? I mean, I love that we get lots of Korra, even though she was unbearably moody in the early going, but still. I don’t laugh as much this season and I think it’s because, one, we’re dealing with more serious things. That’s great! But two, it’s because Bolin is more on the sidelines than before. And speaking of missing people, there hasn’t been NEARLY enough BEIFONG for my liking. I’m hoping that she’ll be the one who helps get Mako off of these stupid charges. How could she believe the EFFING TRIPLE THREATS?!

Last thing, though: I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Jinora is becoming so important and that we are slowly meeting the next generation of benders. It makes me hopeful for the future of this world.

So what did you guys think? What do you think Varrick is up to? Did you figure out that Unalaq was working for Vaatu?

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